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(No Model.)

S. C. WILCOX. BUTTON 0R BADGE.

' No. 409,132. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN C. \VILCOX, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALONZO V.RICHARDS.

BUTTON OR BADGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,132, dated August13, 1889. Application filed August 18, 1887. Renewed July 9, 1889.Serial No.3l6,994. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, STEPHEN C. WILOOX, a resident of Dubuque, in thecounty of Dubuque and State of Iowa, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Badges; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same.

My inventionrelates to improvements in buttons or badges, such as areworn by members of various organizations-s11ch, for instance, as theGrand Army of the Republic. The invention is fully described and explained in the following specification and shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a completed badge having theimproved construction described herein. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe inner or lower face of the cap forming part of the button, togetherwith a part of the layer of colored material lying within the cap, thislayer being partly removed in order to show the cap more clearly. Fig. 3isabottom plan of the base-plate of the button, the shank attached tothe base-plate being cut by atransverse plane passing through the line00 as, Fig. 4; and Fig. 4t is a central section of the completed button.

I11 the views, A is a plain or ornamented cap provided with a rim A andformed with an opening A, which may have any desired form, but ispreferably of such shape as to distinguish the organization by whosemembers the badge is used. When the button is used as a Grand Armybadge, I prefer that this opening in the cap shall have such shape as torepresent the badge of any given army corps, and where the badge is usedby the members of any other organization this opening may have suchother form as to distinguish between various branches of theorganization.

In the rim A are formed two or more opposite lips a,.which are bentdownward and inward for the purpose of attaching a baseplate C, providedwith a central shank G on which is formed a disk 0, by means of whichthe entire button may be attached to the clothing of the wearer. In theedge of the base-plate O are formed notches c, corresponding in numberand position to the lips to, and the base-plate may evidently be 0011-nected with the cap A by dropping the baseplate into the cap in such aposition that the notches 0 pass over the lips a, and then rotating thebase-plate until the notches no longer register with the lips, when theplate is held securely in position until by relative rotation thenotches and lips again register;

but the device is of little value unless means be provided forpreventing accidental relative rotation. This is done without adding tothe number of parts or materially to the expense of construction byforming 011 the margin of the base-plate the spiral surfaces 0,extending in corresponding directions, re-

At the same time the thinness of the margin near each notch greatlyfacilitates its passing beneath the lips. Between the base-plate and theinner surface of the cap is interposed a layer B of cloth, enameledmetal, glass, or

other suitable material having any desired color, but preferably such aswill be distinct ive of some branch or division of the organi zation towhich. the wearer of the badge belongs.

IVhen the button is used by members of the Grand Army, the color of thelayer B is preferably such as to indicate the arm of the service towhich the wearer belonged when in the army, and it is evident that ifthe form of the opening A and the color of the layer 0 B are both madedistinctive, in the manner hereinbefore set forth, the badge willindicate not only that its wearer is a member of the Grand Army of theRepublic, but will also show at a glance the army corps to which he 5belonged when in the service, and also the particular arm of the servicein which he served.

I have shown in the drawings a button having its surface ornamented in amanner aptoo Now if the parts 70 propriate for its use as a Grand Armybadge; but this ornamentation evidently forms no part of the invention.

It is evident that instead of interposing between the basc-plate C andthe inner surface of the cap A a separate layer of colored ma terial thesurface of the base-plate may itself be colored, and the effect producedwill be the same as if the separate layer were used. The only objectionto this construction is that where various colors may be used bydifferent members of the same organization it would be necessary to makethe base-plates of Various colors, which is perhaps somewhat moreexpensive than to make the base-plates uniform and to provide separatelayers of different-colored material, in the manner illustrated in the(lrawin I am aware that separable buttons have heretofore been made invarious forms more or less nearly resembling the construction shown. anddescribed, and I therefore claim onl y such novelty as is set forth inthe following claim:

The combination of the cap A,'formed with the opening A and providedwith the rim A, having inwardly-bei'it lips (L, the base-plate C, formedwith notches adapted to pass over said lips and having its margingradually increased in thickness from said notches in one direction, anda layer of colored material B lying between the base-plate and the innerface of the cap, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

S'JEPIIEN C. WILUOX.

Witnesses:

J. R. LINDSAY, Louis G. l I unto.

